Today was the semesterly event Cookies ‘N’ Characters. It is a chance for gamers on campus to gather, chat, and play a one-shot with friends. We had three GMs prepare adventures for today, though it turned out to be overkill. More on that later. We gather in the main hall with a few boxes of cookies, roll out the mats, and prepare the dice. Today was no different.

Sadly, we did not have enough players to fill even one game, though that one game wanted nine. So, the five or six of us joined in to the big game, leaving my Savage Worlds Apocalypticon playtest untested and the D&D 4E game unplayed. Unknown Armies did not, however, disappoint. GMed by two relatively unknown players, it was a fantastic experience for all around. For my part, I played a psychotic escaped convict who had a strange sense of right and wrong. Sharpened spoons entered into the equation, too.

I had to leave the game early due to another meeting I needed to run, but in my short time in the game I managed to start the hijinks by knifing my companion. I think he got a bit miffed when I started cutting him up right from the start, though he managed to escape the dark basement alive. I got locked in and mauled by an ambulatory rack. Rack, as in medieval torture device. Ambulatory, as in walking. It was quite an experience.

The system was quite roleplaying-intensive, and it was well-executed by all parties. The GMs did a stellar job writing and producing the adventure, and all players got appropriately in-character (though not inappropriately so, which was a very good thing given the nature of our characters). Unknown Armies gets five stars from me, and I recommend it most highly to all looking for a modern, supernatural RPG.

Unknown Armies remains my favorite modern horror/occult game by a wide margin. Its ability to take the real world and tilt it just slightly out of focus is amazing. Glad to hear that it is still being played.